THE HISTORY OF MIKANO LODGE

              In the 1930's, an honor Scout Camper Society known as Kunieh existed in Milwaukee County Council.  This group was composed primarily of adults and utilized an extensive hazing process, unlike the Ordeal, for its initiation. 

               While the Order of the Arrow was growing nationally, Kunieh was pushing its roots from the Milwaukee area.   A Texas man who served on the Indian Mound Reservation (IMR) staff during this period carried local customs back to his native state and to several other states as well.

                 At about the same time, a new Scout Executive came to Milwaukee, Mr. H.G. ("Curly") Zion, who was instrumental in establishing the Order of the Arrow in Milwaukee. In the spring of 1938, a meeting of all Kunieh members (some fifty in all)  was convened at the Republican Hotel in downtown Milwaukee.  Its purpose was to convince the Kunieh membership that the Order of the Arrow program should be adopted, and the Kunieh program dropped.

                For this meeting, several members of a nearby Order of the Arrow Lodge came to explain its purpose, emphasizing that it was now a nationally accepted program. Also, they explained that the various ceremonies used had a definite meaning, while some of those used by the Kunieh organization did not. 

                After much consideration and discussion, the assembled members voted to disband the Kunieh and apply for an Order of the Arrow Charter. The charter was granted on March 23, 1943. They adopted the name Mikano, which is the Menominee name for turtle, because of the effigy mound at Indian Mound Reservation.

                The new Mikano Lodge grew rapidly in numbers, doing service to camps in the area, and inducting new members.  In 1947, the first Fall Fellowship was held. The Lodge became nationally known in 1948, when, for the first time, delegates were sent to the National Order of the Arrow Conference, held at Indiana University in Bloomington.  That same year, the first Lodge patch was adopted – an octagon-shaped patch with a white background and a turtle emblazed in the center.  It served as the official Lodge patch until 1957, when the famous "running turtle" flap was adopted. 

                During the late 1940's, some Lodge members who were working on the IMR summer staff instituted the practice of wearing a piece of red cedar, carved in the shape of the Mound, on a leather thong around their necks. Other members of the Lodge picked up this practice until it became the unofficial totem of the Lodge. In the spring of 1963, the Executive Committee declared the cedar mound to be the official Lodge Totem.

                In 1964, the first Mikano Lodge Honored Scouter Award was presented to Vigil Honor member W. Ben Hunt, a local whittler and Indian lore expert who was nationally known for his Boy's Life magazine articles. 

                In 1965, to keep pace with the trend of the nation at the time, the Lodge adopted a new Lodge flap – the "Mound" flap.  (It resembled a violin case) 

                At the 1969 Fall Fellowship, the present rules and regulations were voted upon and approved. They went into effect in January of 1970. Also in 1969, Mikano Lodge completed its first "Where-To-Go-Camping" booklet and became a National Standard Lodge for the first time.  Mikano Lodge was one of the first Lodges in the nation to earn this distinction 

                In January of 1970, Mikano Lodge added District Chapters to its set-up.  This was done to facilitate the vast amount of Lodge activities.  Also, in 1971, the First Arrowman of the Year Award was presented to Bob Fessenbecker.

                In 1972, Lodge Chief Bob Weigend presented a special Mikano Lodge Flap to the Boy Scouts of America National Museum.  This flap had been carried around the moon by a former Treasurer of Mikano Lodge, astronaut James Lovell, on his Apollo VIII mission.  You might say that Mikano Lodge has gone farther than any other Lodge.  Not even the sky has been the limit.                 

                In 1973, when the district areas of Milwaukee County Council were changed, the chapters were reorganized to comply with the new boundaries.

                At the 60th Anniversary Order of the Arrow Conference in 1975, James Neidhoefer, a member of our Lodge as well as the Council Executive Board, was presented the Distinguished Service Award. Since then, five other members of Mikano Lodge have been recipients of this special recognition.

                 For the nation's bicentennial celebration in 1976, Mikano Lodge had a special Lodge flap designed.  And in 1978, the Lodge adopted a Lodge Flap with a natural colored turtle on a blue and yellow background.

                The first annual Chapter of the Year Award was presented in 1980.  During this year, Allogagon Chapter (Southern District) created a Chapter patch and Wulihan (Southwest District) created a Chapter neckerchief. 

                For Mikano Lodge's 40^th Anniversary in 1983, a special Lodge flap was designed.  In addition, the first Lodge back patch was created.

                In January of 1983, the first National Founders Award was presented to Vigil Honor member Everett Rosera.  His whittling skills provided him with the opportunity to serve on the Boy's Life staff at several National Jamborees. 

                In 1988, Mikano Lodge inducted its first female Ordeal members.  They were Mary Ann Jesse and Lauren Stevens.

                In 1990, the Chapter structure was eliminated and the Committee structure of the Lodge was strengthened in order to insure continuation of activities as well as improve communication with fellow members.

                 The Lodge's 50^th Anniversary was celebrated in grand style during 1993.  A special commemorative set of past Lodge flaps (including the octagon) was introduced in a limited edition.  A specially designed Lodge flap for this anniversary was made available.  The Lodge banquet's special guest speaker was Allen Mossman, National Director of the Order of the Arrow.

                In 1994, the Founder's Award was presented for the first time to a father and son combination.  The youth award was presented to Donald Thomsen, and the adult award was award was presented to Myron Thomsen.  And in 1995, a special white on white collector Lodge flap with the 50^th anniversary design was issued in honor of the white buffalo born in Wisconsin in 1994.

                 The 1996 Olympic torch was carried in Milwaukee by Lodge member Robert Hites.  In that same year, Mikano's Jamie Amato was selected Section Chief and Kendall Frederick was elected Section Vice Chief.

                A special Lodge flap to commemorate IMR's 80^th anniversary was created in 1997 and George Fix, Lodge Historian, compiled a book for publication about the first 80 years of IMR history.  In the same year, Mikano Lodge came out with its own website. 

                A new, two piece turtle flap was introduced to Mikano members in 1998.  The turtle's head was on the flap, and the turtle's body was suspended over the pocket.  The body had a Brotherhood or Vigil sash.  The Mikano Lodge Archery Range at IMR, begun 1997, was completed and dedicated in 1998.

                For the first time, an induction/service weekend was held in August, 1999, with both an Ordeal and Brotherhood ceremony held that was to replace these two ceremonies at the Fall Fellowship.  The Fall Fellowship was only one day because Mikano Lodge hosted the Section Conclave the prior weekend at IMR. 

                Dave Golden, Past Lodge Chief, received the Distinguished Service Award at the 2000 National Order of the Arrow Conference. Click here to see Dave's bio and the other 2000 recipients of the Distinguished Service Award on the National Order of the Arrow website.

                In 2003, Richard Fessenbecker becomes the first Lodge Advisor who had previously served as Mikano Lodge Chief and Section Chief.  This also was the year that Mikano Lodge celebrated its 60^th anniversary. 

                At the 2004 National Order of the Arrow Conference, past Lodge Chief Cortland Bolles was presented with the Distinguished Service Award.  He was the second past Lodge Chief within a four year period to receive this high recognition. Click here to visit the National Order of the Arrow website and see all of the 2004 recipients of the Distinguished Service Award.

               Mikano Lodge continues to provide service to the Council.  Besides Fix-its in the spring and Fellowships in the fall, the Lodge has served at District and Council events, conducted camp promotion presentations, and held elections at many troop meetings and summer camps.

               In January 2005, Mikano Lodge is award a National Service Grant for completion of the "Panning For Gold" project at IMR.  Mikano is selected as one of 11 recipients from over 70 lodges submitting grants. Click Here to visit the National Order of the Arrow website, announcing the 2005 National Service Grant recipients.